This trail report is for the Keep Kool Trail, southern neighbor and another route to Yellow Aster Butte and Tomyhoi. At 2.6 miles in the Keep Kool trail connects to the Yellow Aster Butte and Tomyhoi trails. Note there is not a WTA page for the Keep Kool Trail, I’m guessing since this trail is no longer maintained. (Backup to the lack of maintenance are the 52 blowdowns. Not kidding.)
The trailhead is 2.2 miles in off of the Twin Lakes Road. Any vehicle could make it. There’s room for about 4-5 vehicles there. The GAIA gps app has the trail accurately marked. There is no trailhead sign, nor bathrooms. Overall stats is roughly 6.2 miles roundtrip and about 2,755ft. elevation gain/loss.
The first 0.25 mile is easy, but don’t let that fool you, as the next 0.75 miles is on pace with 1000ft/mile elev. gain. At about a mile in there is a great view of Mount Shuksan. By this point you’ll have already pretty easily dealt with about 12 blowdowns. Take a minute to enjoy it as the next mile you’ll go through another 40 blowdowns. Some are impressively trail destructive. Thank you to whomever tied some pink tape markings to aid you through those gnarly sections.
About 1.5 miles in you come to a beautiful stream. Shortly after this you’ll cross that stream three separate times, all easy crossings. The trail goes up in earnest again after that.
Around 2 miles in you break out of the forest into a beautiful meadow with first a bold view of Keep Kool Butte, then the peak just in front of Yellow Aster Butte comes into view followed by Shuksan again. There is another small stream flowing in the meadow.
As you leave the meadow there is another short steep spurt. The trail gets a little sketchy and bushy as you go UP. Just keep grinding through this. Soon enough you’ll make it to the small lakes area. The views from here are pretty great, but don’t stop here. As there are buttes and peaks begging to be climbed!
At this point try to not get confused with the multitude of little side trails. At about 2.6 miles and 2,350ft. gain you’ll arrive at a trail junction. Left takes you to Keep Kool Butte and continuing on from there would be the High Divide trail, Welcome Pass, and Excelsior Peak. Turn to the right and Yellow Aster Butte and Tomyhoi will welcome you.
A half mile and 400ft. elev. gain later you are on top of the 5,933ft. Keep Kool Butte. And the views DO NOT DISAPPOINT!! 360 degree views of all our local US and Canadian favorites. I felt spoiled, as I had the butte all to myself.
My favorite aspect of this trail, peace and solitude. I didn’t see another person until 2.6 miles in when you get to the small lakes area. I’m guessing everyone else came up the Yellow Aster Butte trail. The majority of the blowdowns were not a big deal. No bugs. The only wildlife I saw were amphibious, one frog and three toads. This time of year there are no more wildflowers, but a fun variety of mushrooms make up for it
I’d recommend this trail while you can still make out it. Sections are quickly getting overgrown. That said, the majority of the trail is still pretty obvious.
Have fun in the solitude. This trail is special.
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